A concerned mother is calling for changes to school meals after witnessing what primary school pupils are served for lunch. Kay Webb took to Facebook to share pictures of the “tiny” portions her son, and other children as old as 11, are being given.
Posting photos of four meals her son had chosen, she wrote: “This is a post about the food our children are being fed. All parents of Shotton Primary School should know this is the meal size your children receive daily. When your children come home hungry, this is why.”
Speaking to The Mirror, Kay explained she became aware of how little her seven-year-old son, William, was eating when she joined him for lunch one day due to his need for one-on-one support.
She said: “I was sitting with him and saw the food. I thought, ‘How bad is this?’. He was coming home hungry every night and losing a massive amount of weight. I was even being offered protein shakes for him.
“We always have food at home, so I was questioning myself, wondering what I was doing wrong. When I saw the meals, I realised immediately why he was starving when he got home.”
The mother-of-four revealed her other children had also been coming home hungry, though she hadn’t realized the reason until now. Kay criticised the portion sizes, pointing out children as young as four are served the same portions as 10- and 11-year-olds.
“For some children, this might be their only meal of the day,” she said. “There might not be food at home. They rely on this, and it isn’t enough.”
She said during the week she spent with him his meals included:
- Chicken pie with a scoop of mashed potato plus a “flat” cake
- Small piece of pizza with two potato wedges and a yoghurt with a few grapes
- Jacket potato with tuna, which William doesn’t like so he was given a scoop of cheese
- Two sausages with mashed potato and gravy with a cake
The school responded on social media, defending the meals and explaining children are allowed two portions of vegetables, as well as coleslaw, salad, and bread to fill their plates. However, they added they do not force children to take these extras to avoid causing “unnecessary upset”.
Kay also shared her personal motivation for speaking out, reflecting on her own experiences as a child. She revealed she was neglected and often went hungry before entering the care system at the age of eight. “I was that child who was starved and had to find food elsewhere. I will fight to make sure the food is enough for children,” she said.
Kay added William, who was born four weeks early and spent time in the Neonatal Unit at North Tees Hospital in Stockton, has sensory issues. These issues mean he struggles with certain textures and won’t eat some foods, including many vegetables.
She admitted William won’t eat vegetables she says many other children are the same, saying: “Even if they topped up their plates with an extra scoop of mash it would help a bit.
“I believe the standards are beyond shocking for the portion size. Children really need this food – it is their main meal. Every child should be entitled to a decent meal of hot food, especially during the winter.”
The mum said there was fruit and yoghurt plus some other foods when the children arrived at school on a morning. But she said fruits like grapes and blueberries were counted so a child got five berries or grapes. Kay says she has now been told she must take William home over lunch break and he will be given a packed lunch to bring with him.
Many people commenting on the post backed the mum. One wrote: “Disgusting & how much are parents paying a week for that.” Another added: “Some of the children in the school.. this could be the only good meal they get… well you assume school dinners are a good meal. Certainly was many moons ago when I was at school.”
One commented: “Shocking. I used to love my school meals, and there was a lot more on our plates. It was 50 odd years ago but kids still need a decent meal and that isn’t one. £3 a day is a total rip off.” Another agreed saying: “Can that even be classed as food, that’s absolutely disgusting! They wanna hang their heads in shame serving that to kids.”
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